


Just Let That Sink In

by Reyxa



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Half-Reveal, If I remember, Neighbors AU, Pining, Reveal, Tags will be added, a lot of fluff, domestic shit, its a stupid title i know, its funnier after you read the chapter, probably excessive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 15:10:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11466165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reyxa/pseuds/Reyxa
Summary: Marinette steels herself as she locks her door behind her. She stares into the grooves of her door as she thinks,You will say words today. And coherent sentences maybe? But don’t push yourself! Baby steps!But as she turns to the steps to begin her trek to the grocery store, breath is torn from her lungs. He’s there.His vivid eyes are turned to the phone in his hand, a secretive smile on his face. His features are delicate and she again finds herself itching for her sketchbook. He’s leaning against the window, light catching the blond waves of his hair.He’s pretty.Beautiful.Unnamed.As terribly infatuated as she is, Marinette has yet to know his name.





	Just Let That Sink In

**Author's Note:**

> okay wow it's been a while since ive posted anything hello! ive forgotten how to do notes. so this is a neighbors au that my wonderful bf came up with back in like fucking october and ive pretty much been writing this since then
> 
> im Suffering(tm) from a block so like half of this is good and then it gets kinda shitty but The Plot happens at the end
> 
> the chapter titles will be sort of like Friends episode titles bc you know it's domestic and apartments and coffee but the fic itself has nothing to do with friends
> 
> so um yup enjoy!

Adrien’s day begins like any other.

_“Plagg,_ ” he groans, lungs burning as his nostrils are blocked by a small black ball of stink. Adrien sits up, Plagg sliding from his place and into Adrien’s lap.

Plagg whines softly, curling up into a ball. “Let me sleep, kid. We wake up at 5am _every morning.”_

Adrien sighs, shoving a hand through his knotted hair before nuzzling Plagg affectionately with a single finger. “Yes, but you also sleep all day anyway. Also I think we need to give you another bath.”

Plagg shoots up, eyes wide. He flings himself under Adrien’s bed as Adrien himself snickers. “Don’t you love me, Adrien?”

“I’ll love you when the smell of camembert isn’t choking me in my sleep.” he rolls his eyes, hopping out of bed and stretching.

“And your new habit of not wearing a shirt to bed isn’t doing anything for your ego, Chat Noir.” the exasperation is evident in his voice. “You’re either shirtless or clad in leather all hours of the day, give it a rest.”

Adrien tips his head back and laughs, a laugh that is the most genuine laugh that has bubbled in his throat in weeks. “You’re just jealous of my _hot body_.” Adrien boasts as he nudges Plagg with his toe.

“Please, those heavy mortal bodies are nothing to be jealous about.” Plagg quips, clawing at Adrien’s toe.

He can’t keep the smile off his face as he heads into the bathroom.

Plagg is the greatest friend any sheltered kid could ask for. The kwami was grumpy and cantankerous but he kept Adrien company through many of his lonely years and Adrien would be forever indebted.

The smile he woke up with slips from his face as he stares at the darkness beneath his eyes. _Maybe early photoshoots and late night patrols aren’t the best combination._ He sighs, attempting to tame his wild blond tresses.

Saturday is his favorite day of the week. Saturday means no photoshoots, no obligations, no duties. Saturday means waking at 8am rather than 6. Saturday means catching his cute neighbor as she stumbles down the steps that lead to their floor at exactly 10 every week.

She is nameless, that girl. But her blue eyes hold a passion he wishes he could see in his own green ones and her blush is all kinds of adorable. And her stammering and babbling could tug at his heartstrings. More than once he wondered about pursuing her. Every time, guilt caught his heart in its iron grip. That guilt, unlike the girl who lived next door, is named.

Guilt’s name is Ladybug.

His heart is Ladybug’s and that is that. Whether she wanted it or not, she held it in her gloved hands because he had shoved it into them. _Take it, you’ll take better care of it than I ever could._

Adrien grimaces at his reflection before shoving a toothpaste-dressed toothbrush in his mouth.

~

“I mean, I don’t know!” Marinette is babbling again, gesticulating wildly.

“Every Saturday, Marinette!” Tikki laughs, touching Marinette’s nose affectionately.

Sighing, Marinette flops onto her couch. The old cushions creak under the sudden weight. “Someone like him wouldn’t be waiting for someone like me, Tikki.”

Tikki tucks a strand of hair behind Marinette’s ear. “Don’t say that! You’re perfect! Anyone would be lucky to have you. You are Lady Luck after all!”

Her dramatic sigh flutters past her lips. “Ladybug is amazing, Tikki. But without the spots, I’m just Marinette.”

Silence from the tiny red kwami. Then, “You’ll be late, Mari. It’s 9:58.”

“No!” Marinette cries, shooting up.

A smile lights Tikki’s face as giddiness takes Marinette over. “Wait for me!” she shoots into Marinette’s bag as Marinette stumbles out the door.

Marinette steels herself as she locks her door behind her. She stares into the grooves of her door as she thinks, _You will say words today. And coherent sentences maybe? But don’t push yourself! Baby steps!_

But as she turns to the steps to begin her trek to the grocery store, breath is torn from her lungs. _He’s there._

His vivid eyes are turned to the phone in his hand, a secretive smile on his face. His features are delicate and she again finds herself itching for her sketchbook. He’s leaning against the window, light catching the blond waves of his hair.

He’s _pretty._

_Beautiful._

_Unnamed._

As terribly infatuated as she is, Marinette has yet to know his name.

A tug from her bag jolts her from her reverie. Marinette shakes her head, clearing it before beginning her descent down the stairs.

Towards _him._

Her knuckles are white as she keeps an iron grip on the railing.

Every single time, she misses a step and falls towards guaranteed injury. That is, until his warm hands catch her and his green eyes lock on hers with concern.

The rush of her near fall and the intensity of his green eyes steal the breath from her lungs right alongside her vocabulary.

But today, Marinette refuses to let him and his smile and his eyes and his smell take the words from her lips.

Today she’ll speak to him. SHow him her amazing talent at going down steps without falling flat on her face. _Look hot stuff,_ she’ll say smugly. _Check out my basic motor skills._

A snort from the base of the steps jerks her from her fantasy. “I’m not sure you have basic motor skills. I don’t think I’ve seen you go down these stairs without tripping in the six months I’ve lived here.”

Her jaw drops. “I said that out loud.” the words come soft.

His smile is so bright, she nearly forgets the embarrassment.

Nearly.

Blush creeps into her cheeks. “I- I didn’t mean, I’m so, I-”

“Tell you what,” his eyes are sparkling goodnaturedly and it makes her cheeks burn. “You get down these stairs without hurting yourself and I’ll buy you coffee.”

Her heart’s thundering is so loud she’s sure he can hear it thrumming in his ears. _Coffee_. Her mind processes the word slowly. _He’s buying it._

_For me._

_Coffee. He’s buying. For me._

_…_

_Date._

The word stops her heart.

She finds herself staring at him. She squints before turning up her nose. _I’m beauty, I’m grace._ Marinette says it as a mantra as she takes her first step.

The boy’s smile is _encouraging_ and it’s _frustratingly adorable_ and she wants to punch him in his gorgeous face.

_I’m Ladybug and I’ve jumped off buildings before, steps are easy-peasy_. She tells herself.

Smile triumphant, she hops the last two steps. She looks up at him, finding glittering eyes and a smile that makes her chest hurt. 

“Congratulations, mademoiselle,” his grin is insufferable and _goddamn it would be nice to kiss it off his face._ “Have time for coffee now?”

It takes everything to keep her nod from being too enthusiastic.

~

Adrien has to physically stop himself from beaming.

He’s on a _real outing_ with a new _friend_. Not just a new friend, but the cute girl from next door. “Oh.” the word seems to startle her and all he wants to do is press her against him and bury his nose in her hair. “I didn’t catch your name.”

Her blue eyes are wide but her smile is genuine “Marinette.”

_“Marinette._ ” Her name rolls from his tongue without his consent. “Marinette with the amazing motor skills.”

The pink dusted across her cheekbones makes him blush right alongside her. “I-I’m really sorry about that! I wasn’t thinking. At all.”

He can’t help his smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

Marinette offers a soft smile that makes his heart feel like it’s filled with sunshine. “And yours?”

“Hm?”

“Your name.” she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

_She doesn’t know my name_.The fact is startling but oddly exciting. Someone new who doesn’t already have an opinion about him. “I’m Adrien.”

Her smile is warm as she offers him her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

His heart hammers in his chest as he gently takes her hand in his. He's surprised to feel callouses on her palm, which lightly brush across his skin as he shakes it. It's an oddly pleasant feeling, and he can't help but notice that they mirror his own callouses perfectly.

Her blue eyes are so kind and welcoming and her lips look so soft he nearly forgets that his heart has already been stolen. “So where do you-”

_“My name is Iced Mochaccino and I hate iced coffee! I will smite you for giving me iced coffee when I ordered regular!”_

_Fuck my life._ Adrien sighs. “Marinette I think you should head to safety! There’s an akuma there!”

Marinette is already dragging him away. “You need to get to safety! Follow me!”

They race through the streets, dodging sharpened ice. They duck into an alleyway.

“You stay here.” Adrien grabs her shoulders. “I’ll find you later.”

“Wai-” her exclamation drowns away as he runs behind a tree to transform.

~

“Chat!” the scream that rips from her throat burns as it’s torn out. The akuma had been defeated swiftly but Chat had gotten sliced up by those stupid ice shards. His crumpled form makes her chest collapse. _Just cleanse_ , the voice that pops into her head doesn’t sound like her own. “Miraculous Ladybug!” the cry is hasty and robotic as she releases the ladybugs to allow them to rid the city of damage.

They sweep the streets, restoring lamps and buildings, before they all collect around her partner. Dozens of ladybugs surround him before disappearing in a shower of glitter.

Chat is left groaning on the ground.

Her miraculous gives a single insistent warning but she’s running for him anyway. “It didn’t work.” she whispers, her tone incredulous as gloved fingertips trail the jagged wound in his side. “Why didn’t it-”

“Stopped hurting,” he whispers, though the blood on his cheek is all she can focus on. “Nothing feels broken anymore.”

_I do. I feel broken._ She opens her mouth but her words are cut off by another warning from her earrings.

His weak smile cracks her heart. “Go, my lady.”

“I’m not leaving you here.” Before she can stop them, hot tears slide down her face.

“I’m not dying.” his tone is light but she’s unconvinced. His gloved thumb wipes at the tears sliding down her cheeks.

Another beep.

“ _Go_ , Buginette.”

“My identity is not more important than your life.” she hisses it past gritted teeth, desperately wanting to lie with him and hide her face in his shoulder.

“I’ll be up in a few minutes, I promise.” he gives her that insufferable grin of his. “I’m feeling better already.”

Yet another beep rings out, the need to rip them from her ears and drop kick them from the Eiffel Tower increases tenfold.

“Go, I’ll see you at patrol later.”

Ladybug worries at her lip before running her fingers through his sweat-drenched bangs. She stands up, his hand dropping away from her cheek as he does. “Patrol.” it comes as a whisper.

“I’ll be there. Leaving you alone would be a _cat_ astrophe.”

She swallows her groan before dropping to his side and pressing a quick fluttering kiss to his nose. She’s running before he can say a word.

~

“Alright, Plagg.” Adrien’s voice has more optimism than he thought he would be able to muster. “Let’s get home.”

“You said that half an hour ago.” his kwami’s voice is flat. “Call someone to help you.”

Adrien has managed to sit himself up on the dirty alley wall without doubling over in pain. The cure certainly healed him quite a lot. No longer is his rib cracked and the wound closed a lot too, save for a shallow gash that stings whenever he shifts.

“Don’t be a stupid kitten.” Plagg scoffs.

Adrien rolls his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

“Haven’t heard that before.” Plagg mutters.

“I’ll prove it to you. You and Ladybug.” Adrien declares, stifling his grunts as he staggers to his feet. “Ta-da!”

“Shut up.” Plagg’s tone is snippy as he zooms into Adrien’s pocket.

Stumbling home is a feat in itself but he manages and flopping down on his couch is the best prize he could receive.

And maybe painkiller.

And bandages.

Both of which he’s run out of.

Burying his face in a pillow as Plagg reluctantly digs through Adrien’s scarce medicine cabinet, Adrien groans.

“What kind of superhero doesn’t stock up on bandages?” Plagg scolds in that tone he adopts when his ‘responsible kwami’ instincts kick in.

“My partner has magical healing ability.” Adrien deadpans.

“Maybe the girl you blew off to fight a raging akuma will have something.”

Adrien sits up so fast he rolls off the couch. Cheek pressed to the cold floor and limbs flailed, he mumbles feebly. “Marinette. I can’t believe I forgot about her.”

“Well you did get stabbed. She’ll understand.” Plagg shrugs.

“I need to see her.”

~

Adrien smiling sheepishly at her as Marinette peeks through her peephole is the only thing that draws her mind away from Chat Noir and her rapid stress-baking.

“I’m sorry, so so sorry to show up unannounced, you have no idea. I just-” she cuts off his apology as he steps in.

“You’re injured!” she blurts. “You were fine two hours ago, what happened?”

He’s slouching a little, his arms clutching his waist. His face displays an expression of a casual apology but his green eyes are flashing with pain that makes her heart hurt. She’s reminded of Chat which makes it all the more painful.

“I, uh,” he ran a hand through his blond strands. “Got caught in the akuma battle earlier- do I smell cookies?”

_Another person I couldn’t heal_. She bites down hard on her lip, surprised when the coppery taste of blood slides onto her tongue. “Come in, I’ll help.”

He shakes his head, blond hair bouncing wildly. “No, no need.” his smile is genuine and warm. “I just came by to see if you had bandages I could borrow.”

Marinette rolls her eyes, opening the door wider. “As if I could even think about letting you deal with it alone.”

He looks at her. _Gazes_ at her. Her pulse flutters. “Well, if you insist…”

“I certainly do.” she nods, heart thundering as he enters her apartment. “Anything broken?”

“No my la-aaadybug fixed that!” he grins. “Just a shallow cut, you know? I just wanted to borrow some painkillers and bandages… I don’t really know anyone else? Sorry to bother you!”

She urges him to sit before fluttering from cabinet to cabinet, digging carelessly through her messy drawers from her healing kit. “It’s no bother at all!” she yelps rather breathlessly before breathing a soft ‘ha!’ and holding up her kit triumphantly.

When she turns back to him the corner of his lip is turned up in a cheeky half-smile that leaves her heart slamming against her chest.

“So, uh, where did you get hurt?” Marinette sits down on her coffee table in front of him, digging through her kit to avoid those endlessly charming green eyes.

“My side sort of- but no! I-I can handle it it’s fine! I just need to borrow your supplies for a moment-” fingertips brush her shoulder gently before sharply recoiling in pain.

Marinette rips her gaze from the bandages to Adrien who is clutching his waist as he winces. Her heart’s rapid butterfly wing fluttering abruptly slows to a slow sharp pang, reminded again of her partner in the same state somewhere in the city. _Oh mon chaton, who’s caring for you now?_

_I should be._

She shakes her head, turning her attention back to the blond breathing heavily as he recovers from his brief flash of pain. Overcome with guilt and empathy, Marinette places a cool hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers. “Let me help you? It would be rude of me to let you deal with it yourself.”

His eyes flicker over her face, leaving her wondering if she imagined them lingering on her lips for just a second more. “Okay.” it comes as a breathy submission rather than an accepting affirmation but she takes what she can get.

She gives him what she hopes is a soothing smile, though she’s sure it comes across as painfully awkward. She turns back to the mess of medical supplies, picking through it until Adrien shifts and groans.

When she turns back to him, his shirt is halfway up his torso, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. She isn't able to stop the small squeak from escaping her lips. 

Her eyes trail from his waistband to the expanse of skin laid flat against hardened muscle. Adrien wasn't muscular per se, he was lanky and toned and it turned her insides to _mush. This is definitely not where I imagined this coffee date ending._

Her open ogling is abruptly stopped by the angry red gash in his side. She sobers, hesitantly reaching out to help him shed his slightly bloodied shirt. 

Blond hair pops out from the collar as she tosses the shirt aside, a warm sincere grin accompanying it. “Thank you.”

Red spreads across her cheeks as she offers a small nod. _This is gonna be agonizing._

~

Marinette’s cool touch is not nearly as soothing as her sparkling blue eyes. They flicker over his torso, her gaze concerned and her lip caught between her teeth.

“I-It looks a lot worse than it feels… probably. It’s just in like a place that’s guaranteed to hurt when you move, you know?” Adrien offers.

“Mhm.” she sounds unconvinced as she touches her salve-coated fingertip to his bare skin, dabbing it gently on his wound. “How did you get here? If you were um injured, I mean- not that you don’t or that you’re uh-”

“Oh it doesn’t hurt… much. I could get home I just didn’t have things at home to uh help this heal?” _A superhero without a first aid kit. Ladybug would laugh._

_Ladybug_. He hopes she’s okay. Okay and not at all worried for him. He has a different blue-eyed, dark-haired, freckle-spattered girl on the case. He glances back up at Marinette, whose tongue was endearing poking past her lips as she patches him up.

“Well I have tons of first aid stuff! I sort of need to.” she chuckled to herself as she smoothes a bandage over his skin.

“Yeah? What for?”

He watches as red races across her face like sunset overtaking the sky. “U-Uh I’m just, you know, r-really clumsy? I mean of course you know _clearly_ I’m a mess haha.” she tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear.

He blinks. “You’re not a mess! You do seem clumsy though I’ll give you that one. I’m surprised you’ve survived this long by yourself.” he pokes her affectionately.

She turns her blue eyes on him, her soft lips drawn in a half-smile that makes his breath catch in his throat. “I’m done.”

“Huh? Oh!” Adrien sits up with minimal difficulty though concern flickers across Marinette’s face anyway. _Should I… yeah. Yeah, friends do that. We’re friends. I can-_ Before he can convince himself that it’s a bad idea, he brushes his lips against her cheek. “Thanks, Marinette.”

Her red face makes apologies spring to his lips, her arms wrap around herself. Though her bright smile tells a completely different story. “N-No problem! Any time, really! Ah, uh, are you sure you’re feeling okay? Let me at least send you home with cookies or something hold on.”

He _would_ refuse taking her food but the smell of warm cookies has been _taunting_ him through this whole ordeal.

His daydreaming of warm cushions of cookie is abruptly interrupted by a shriek in the kitchen.

~

Marinette is brandishing a pot in one hand and a plate in the other, hovering over her sink, when a fully-clothed Adrien rushes in.

“What- what’s going on is everything okay?” he blurts.

Marinette, eyes wide, gestures to her sink where the small floaty _thing_ is leisurely chewing string cheese from her fridge.

_“Plagg?!”_ Adrien’s tone is aghast as he rushes forward and scoops the little creature up.

_Plagg. Plagg? Why on earth does that sound familiar?_ “Y-You know what- who what the fuck is that?”

He’s blushing brightly. “He’s my, umm, my new kitten? Yup, yup. Kitten.”

_Plagg. Tikki has mentioned it. Or was it Chat?_ “Huh?”

“My kitten! Plagg he, he’s really young which is why he’s uh so small.” Adrien smiles though it’s nothing like his usual smile. It seems almost… forced.

_Kwami. It’s a kwami. It’s Chat Noir’s kwami. In Adrien’s hand. Coincidence? No, Marinette, it can’t possibly be a coincidence. Who would name their pet Plagg? Pet names are uh Oreo and Pippin and things that are actual names. Oh no. Oh god. No, no I’m being crazy. I’m being crazy, right?_ She looks up at Adrien, her gaze trailing from his warm green eyes to his wound that he acquired during the akuma attack.

Just like Chat Noir.

_Just my fucking luck._

“Marinette?” his voice is tentative.

“W-Well I just… I thought I saw him floating?” _Shut up Marinette. Shut up right now._ “Must have been a trick of the light or something! Well, um, here!” she nearly throws the box of cookies at him.

“Thank you! I… thank you. So much. I owe you a coffee date.” He rubs the back of his neck, his smile kind and sheepish as they make their way to the door.

_I went on an almost-date with Chat Noir._

… 

_No, Marinette. You can freak out later. Get him out first._ “S-Sure! I-I’ll see you, Chat.” she leans against the doorway as he stands outside.

His green eyes go wide. “W-Wha- huh?”

Her systems go awry as realization of what she just said rushes in.

“Marinette…” he reaches for her.

“ADRIEN I MEANT ADRIEN GOODBYE.” she yells before slamming the door shut and locking it.

She collapses against the door, the wood scraping her skin as she slides to the floor. Her heart is slamming against her chest, her breath short and bordering on hyperventilation.

She reaches for a pillow and presses her face into it. When her panicked scream bursts past her lips she’s not sure it will ever stop.

Minutes pass and her voice goes hoarse and her mind stops racing. The tentative knock at her door leaves her wanting to curl up in a ball in her room and cry to Tikki.

“I’m an idiot.” she says out loud.

“I’m sorry, Marinette.” Adrien’s voice is muffled and quiet through the door.

“Fuck my life.” she murmurs under her breath.

**Author's Note:**

> half-reveal!!!!!
> 
> if anything's confusing please let me know so i can clear it up!
> 
> comments, kudos, bookmarks are always appreciated!
> 
> tumblr:[reyxa](https://reyxa.tumblr.com)


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